


Best Intentions

by Cobalt_Mystic (Heavenly_Bodies)



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jossverse
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Whump, protective Xander
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-10
Updated: 2013-01-10
Packaged: 2017-11-25 01:25:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Bodies/pseuds/Cobalt_Mystic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Xander sat up running a hand through his hair. “Gods Spike, you better not turn to a pile of dust on me. I really don’t wanna have to go after Buffy.”</i>
</p>
<p>NB- Buffy’s not very nice here, at least in the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Intentions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BrianaPotter](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=BrianaPotter).



> Mys’ yearly coming out of ‘retirement’ for Briana’s b-day fic. Move along, nothing to see. :P
> 
> NB- Buffy’s not very nice here, at least in the beginning.
> 
> Originally posted on LJ, on September 10th, 2012

~~~~~~~~~

 

“Shh, quiet now. Just drink.” A voice as warm and sweet as freshly pulled taffy soothed him as perfectly heated liquid life was guided to his mouth and warm calloused fingers gently worked his throat, encouraging him to swallow. “That’s it, Spike,” relief flowed through the honeyed voice, “drink up.”

When the mug was emptied, Spike felt himself eased down into the familiar softness of his bed. At the loss of the comforting human heat that had been supporting him, Spike tried to call to the young man, but the only sound was a strangled whimper.

“It’s okay,” Xander calmed. “You need to rest. I’ll be right back; I promise.”

Spike tried to open his eyes but the lids felt like iron. He tried to reach for Xander, but his arms barely moved. And even that slight movement sent bolts of pain through his body.

_What in the seven hells happened?_

Spike drew a deep, mental breath and tried to focus. He was injured, badly (if the lack of speech and movement were any indication), which meant a fight. A fight he assumed he lost, but against who or what?

He remembered patrolling with Slutty and was none too happy about it. Patrol was supposed to be his ‘Xander time’. The time when he and the Whelp could drop the posturing- no longer Big Bad and Scooby- just two almost friends, snarking and talking and dispatching the occasional nasty. It was the one part of his ‘new’ life that he looked forward to; and the bitch had taken it.

The bed dipped as a reassuring weight settled on it.

“See, Spike, came right back.” Xander’s hand hovered over the vampire’s bruised face wanting to pet and comfort, but afraid of both hurting the vamp and Spike’s reaction if he remembered Xander’s ministrations. “Hmph, I don’t even know if you can hear me; might as well be talking to a corpse.” The dark boy snorted, “Bad choice of words. Well, at least I know you know what I mean. You always do.”

Xander sat up running a hand through his hair. “Gods Spike, you better not turn to a pile of dust on me. I really don’t wanna have to go after Buffy.”

_Buffy?_

“What the hells was she thinking!?!?!” Xander felt his anger rising, “What could she possibly think you’d done to deserve this?”

A hot tear rolled down his flushed cheek as he looked over his beaten vamp, the vivid images of his best-friend ruthlessly beating the man at his side played and replayed through his mind.

Following his heart, rather than listening to whatever passed for his sense of self-preservation, Xander brushed his hand over Spike’s satiny hair and pressed a tender kiss to the vampire’s forehead, whispering, “Don’t leave me, please.” Sliding down under the blankets next to Spike, Xander carefully wrapped a protective arm around the frail blonde. “You’re safe now Spike. I had Tara put up a couple Wards. Don’t worry, I know how much you hate magic, so they’re simple, just to keep Buff at arm’s length.” The young mortal released a heavy sigh, “I know once you’re better, you’ll hold this over me, but, you know, I think I can live with that.” Placing a final soft kiss on the vampire’s forehead, Xander forced himself to sleep.

********

>   
> _What the hells is she natterin’ on about? ‘s bad enough she’s taken m’ Xan time, but she just won’t shut up! I swear, if she doesn’t quit twitterin’ there’s gonna be one less Slayer in the world._ The vampire snarled despite himself. _Calm down Spike, she’s the boy’s friend, for that you can let her live- maybe… if she shuts it… soon._
> 
> “Hells Slayer, do you **ever** shut up!?” The vampire’s exasperation clear in every syllable.
> 
> “Jeez Spike, so shoot me for making with the banter. Moody vamp- see if I try to save you from another night of ‘defend the Demon Magnet’,” Buffy muttered under her breath.
> 
> Spike saw red. _Trust miss-stake-first-question-uh-never to only see Xander as bait._ The blond stopped in his tracks, turning to glare at the girl, “That’s all you see him as- bait, not even one of you precious groupies.” Spike shook his head in amazement as he pulled a cigarette from his duster. “You’re a real piece o’ work Slayer. Don’t see what you got right in front of you.”
> 
> “Oh and I suppose you do?” came the indignant retort.
> 
> Spike took a deep drag from his smoke before replying coldly, “I see a damn sight better than you.”
> 
> “Sure. More like you see a chance for a quick meal if something ‘happens’ to Xan.”
> 
> Snarling, “Nothin’s gonna happen to the Whelp when he’s with me. More than you can say.”
> 
> Buffy rolled her eyes, “Defensive much.”
> 
> “Let’s just finish the sweep and go our separate ways,” the vampire growled through gritted teeth.
> 
> “Fine,” the Slayer snapped.
> 
> After a moment of silence, “I don’t see why you want to patrol with Xan then.”
> 
> Not looking at the annoying blonde, “Because he doesn’t treat me like a ‘thing’! He’s smarter than you lot give him credit for. He’s got one of the sharpest tongues I’ve known in almost a hundred and fifty years- human or demon. And, I know this next bit ‘ll go over your head, Slayer, so don’t strain yourself; I trust him.”
> 
> “You trust him. That’s your answer?”
> 
> Spike smirked, “Told ya not to strain yourself. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”
> 
> “‘Wouldn’t understand anyway’,” the Slayer muttered mockingly. No sooner had the taunting words left her mouth than a startling image hit her. “You bastard,” she screeched. “You’re trying to seduce him!”
> 
> “Wh…” was all Spike managed before a fist powered by the full force of Slayer strength snapped his jaw shut.
> 
> Without the slightest hesitation Buffy began pummeling the defenseless vampire. “You will not hurt Xander. You will not touch him. You won’t speak to him. You won’t so much as look at him! Do you hear me! You are a foul undead thing, a lifeless animated corpse and I will not stand by and let you destroy him!” Each word from the Slayer’s lips was accentuated by powerful bone crushing blows.
> 
> Only when Spike was a bloodied, barely recognizable pulp did Buffy slow her assault. She leaned over the vampire’s prone body, snarling into a blood soaked ear, “Breath in his direction and you won’t have to worry about getting in before sunrise.”
> 
> Standing she took aim and kicked Spike in the gut relishing the snap-crack of bones breaking under her high-heeled boots.
> 
> Xander had watched from the shadows as Buffy walked away from the wounded vamp. As soon as she was out of sight, Xander ran to the blonde. “Spike! Gods, please be okay, Spike, please.”
> 
> The vampire’s rapidly swelling, crystal blue eyes wobbled as if trying to focus and a wet death rattle of a sound bubbled passed too pale lips, “Xan…”
> 
> Scooping up the vamp in his arms, Xander crossed the relatively short distance to Spike’s crypt.

\---

Xander woke to the sound of his name being called from the upper level of the crypt. He carefully extracted himself from the vampire who had clung to him during the night and went upstairs.

“Hey, Tara,” he greeted the young witch. “Thanks, for last night and not asking.”

She smiled shakily at her friend, “Ca-can I ask now?”

Xander let out a heavy breath. “Spike…” how did he tell her that their friend, the Slayer, had almost beaten Spike to death and he didn’t even know why. “Buffy attacked him, I don’t know why. All I know is I didn’t think he’d survive the night. He’s still pretty bad; I managed to get some blood into him last night. I need to go out and get more.” He ran a hand through his unruly hair, “Will you stay with him?”

“I can pick up blood,” she offered.

Xander shook his head, “I was going to go by Willie’s get some of the good stuff. If I let you go, Wills would kill me.”

Tara nodded her understanding. “He downstairs?”

“Yeah, sleeping.” Xander grabbed his jacket and kissed Tara’s head. “Thank you.”

\---

Tara climbed down the ladder to the lower level of the crypt, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness before working her way to Spike’s bedside. The vamp was curled around a pillow, turned away from her.

He murmured quietly when she approached, too soft for her to understand.

She pulled a rickety folding chair towards the bed, settling in to watch over the sleeping vamp.

Xander hadn’t been gone more than a few minutes when Spike seemed to jerk awake, a gasp catching in her throat when she saw Spike’s face. As quickly as he’d jerked up he fell back down, hiding his face from view and sinking once again into the pillow.

Tentatively, she lay a hand on his head. “Hold on, Spike; Xan’ll be back soon.” She brushed her hand through Spike’s hair and shook her head, wondering what had caused Buffy to attack the vamp. She knew Spike was a killer, but he’d changed. Anybody who bothered to look could see it- in the way he cared for Dawn and how deeply he loved Xander; surely the others had noticed, too. She pulled back from the vamp as he seemed to slip back into a deathlike sleep. She hoped Xander would be back soon- the image of Spike’s bloody and swollen face was not one she’d easily forget; she just hoped it wouldn’t be her last picture of the vampire she’d come to think of as a friend. Buffy better have a good explanation for this or Xander wasn’t the only one Buffy’d be having to deal with.

\---

Buffy was in the training room behind the Magic Box, beating a heavy bag into oblivion. She was furious at herself, at Spike, even at Xander.

“You’re here early,” Giles noted with a bit of surprise.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she answered as she gave the bag a vicious kick to its middle, about the place where a man’s ribs would be- she missed the crunching sound it would have made.

Giles went around the room replacing equipment Buffy had left out or dislodged during her impromptu training session. He knew Buffy well enough to know what it meant when she got like this- something was bothering her; something she couldn’t simply _fight_. “Is there something on you want to talk about?” he asked gently, coming to hold the bag in place, while Buffy continued to assault it.

She gave a hard double jab, rib kick combo to the bag, almost knocking Giles off his feet. “It’s Spike.” She slammed her fist into the ‘head’ of the bag. “He’s playing with Xander.” Another punch, this time to the abdomen. “And I completely missed it!” she growled, punching the training bag harder with every word.

Under the onslaught, Giles lost his balance and stumbled backwards. Steadying himself he adjusted his glasses. “Yes, well, I think a break is in order.”

Buffy flinched a little as she realized the force she must’ve used. “Sorry, my bad.”

“It’s quite alright, though, perhaps you could tell me the rest without punching anything?”

“Sure,” Buffy nodded, “make with the lack of punchage. I can do that.”

“Thank you,” he said, walking out of the training room and into the shop proper.

Buffy followed him silently and threw herself down in one of the chairs at the Scooby table.

Giles joined her a few moments later, two cups of tea in hand. He pushed one towards Buffy and said calmly, “What happened?”

Taking the offered drink, she rolled the mug between her hands. “Spike’s been using patrols to cozy up to Xan. I think he’s trying to make a move on him.”

“Uh, Buffy, do I dare ask what makes you think that?” he asked incredulously.

“He got all growly when I said I was giving him a break from Xan; started going on about me not appreciating Xan and how he _trusted_ him.”

Giles let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s not funny, Giles!”

“I am sorry, Buffy, I never said it was. I know it’s hard to imagine, but it is possible that Spike’s actually fond of Xander.”

“But he’s _Spike_! He doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive,” she declared adamantly.

“Buffy, I’m not saying his intentions are honourable, but-”

The bell over the shop’s door jingled as Willow entered, interrupting Giles. The redhead looked from Buffy to Giles and asked, “Has something happened?”

“Not yet,” Buffy said.

Willow looked questioningly at Giles.

He sighed. “Buffy seems to think Spike has intentions on Xander.”

“Intentions?”

“Romantic intentions,” Giles explained.

“Oh.” Willow sat down next to Buffy. “What’s Xander think about it?”

“Who cares what Xan thinks! The evil undead is making with the moves on him; we have to stop it.”

“Buff, don’t you think we should at least talk to Xan first, you know, before we go all stake-y at him?” Willow suggested.

“Wills, you’re supposed to be on my side, here, not Fangface’s.”

“I never said I wasn’t, but, Buffy, Xander should have a say.”

Buffy stared at her friend as if she’d suddenly sprouted a very ornate horn.

“Besides,” Willow shrugged, ignoring Buffy’s shocked expression, “it might not be such a bad thing, what with how demon prone Xan is and how protective Spike is. He’d probably be safer- demon you know.”

“I do hate to come down on Spike’s side, but Willow does have a valid point. It’s what I was trying to say earlier- despite the atrocities he has unquestionably committed, one thing the Council’s records agree on is that Spike is almost recklessly defensive when he decides to care about something or someone. Not even Angelus’ ‘influence’ could overshadow it completely.”

Buffy looked between her friend and her mentor. “I don’t believe this. It’s _Spike_!” She stood angrily and stormed towards the door.

“Buffy,” Willow called after her.

“What?”

“Don’t do anything rash. Please.”

The blonde didn’t answer as she left, the bell on the door tinkling ominously in her wake.

Willow looked at Giles. “You don’t think she’ll do anything drastic, do you/”

Giles met her eyes silently.

“That’s what I was afraid of.” She sighed. “We should call Xan.”

“And tell him what, exactly?”

\---

Willow looked at the phone in full worry-face. “He’s still not answering.”

“I’m sure there’s no reason to worry about Xander’s safety.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” she said. “What if Buffy goes after Spike?”

Giles stopped perusing the book in his hand, not entirely certain how to respond- yes, Spike was a vampire, a notorious and violent one, but he had been fighting side by side with them for so long now it was hard to simply write him off; not even taking into consideration how much Dawn and Xander seemed to care about him. He sighed. “Perhaps someone should check on Spike.”

“Okay. I can do that,” she said, relieved that she could actually do something other than sit by the phone. “You’ll keep trying to get Xan?”

“Of course. Ah, maybe you should take Tara with you.”

“She had some errands she needed to run and she’s not home yet. I left a message, but she’ll probably stop by here anyway.” Willow shrugged; meek as she could be, Willow knew her girlfriend could take care of herself. “I’ll go check on Spike.”

\------

Buffy marched through the cemetery to where she’d left Spike, expecting to find a scattering of ash where the vamp had been. When she didn’t find it, she headed for his crypt; maybe Spike _had_ been strong enough to make it back there. Part of her hoped he had; as much as it upset her, she had to admit Giles and Willow had a point- if Spike was serious, which she doubted, then there’d be no one more protective than the vamp. She still didn’t believe it, but it was something she had to consider. She didn’t knock; she just opened the door and that was as far as she got.

Tara’s wards were strong. She’d heard the desperation in Xan’s voice when he called the night before and didn’t need to ask in order to pour everything she had into the spells. She’d known Xander would explain as soon as he could and now, having seen the state Spike was in, she needed even less of one.

The air vibrated around them when Buffy tried to enter and Spike visibly shuddered.

Tara immediately stiffened. She’d known it was possible that Buffy would come by before Xander returned, but it had been a confrontation she’d hoped to avoid.

“What the…” Buffy tried to enter again and was met with firm resistance. “Spike I don’t know what you’ve done, but you’re gonna have to face me eventually.”

When Willow arrived, Buffy was on a nearby headstone still contemplating what to do.

“Buffy,” Willow said; hesitantly asking, “Ah, is Spike…?”

Buffy looked from Willow to the open door of the crypt. “I can’t get in,” she told her plainly.

The redhead’s brow furrowed and she went over to the crypt. “Spike?”

There was no answer so she gently put a hand up to the doorway. …and pushed the door open further. She looked back at Buffy, who had perked up when Willow wasn’t blocked from the entrance.

Without waiting for Buffy, she entered the crypt. She recognized the spellwork almost immediately and wasn’t surprised to see her girlfriend climbing up from the lower level of Spike’s crypt.

“Willow,” Tara said in obvious relief as she climbed the rest of the way out of the lower level. “Thank the Goddess.”

“Tara, what’s going on? Why did you ward the door?”

“Umph.” Buffy looked at the doorframe then at the two witches. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Alright, now would be good for the explanations.”

Tara looked nervously between the two women. “Xan- Xander. He called last night- you were still at The Magic Box,” she told Willow. “He asked if I could put up a ward against Buffy.”

“And you thought this was a good idea, why?” Buffy demanded angrily.

Tara’s eyes flared as she answered. “You didn’t hear him. He was desperate and terrified.”

Willow laid a gentle hand on Tara’s arm.

“This morning I found out why,” she said quietly.

“Why?” Willow asked.

“Spike. He’s… not good. Xander said Buffy attacked him.”

“Buffy?”

“I might have lost my temper a little,” she said without the slightest hint of repentance.

Willow turned back to her girlfriend. “How is he?”

Tara tried to smile reassuringly. “Xander went to get him some blood,” she said as if that told her everything she needed to know.

Willow looked at the ladder, debating whether she should go check on the vamp herself, when the light from the doorway dimmed.

Xander silently pushed past Buffy and into the crypt. “Hey, Wills,” he said pleasantly, but there was a hardness in his usually warm voice.

“Xan?” she said hesitantly. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer right away, going over to Spike’s small mini fridge to away all but two packages of blood, which he tossed in the microwave to warm. He turned back to his best friend, his gaze steady, and said, “Ask Buffy; she’s the one who nearly killed Spike last night.” Try as he might, he couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice; his mind too intent on replaying the scene he’d witnessed the night before.

“Xander, you don’t know what he’s doing!” Buffy cried. “He’s playing with you.”

Xander grit his teeth.

“Buffy said he was putting the moves on you,” Willow said calmly, trying to get to the crux of the matter.

Xander barked out a laugh. “If that’s true it makes things a bit easier.”

“Good,” Buffy said satisfied that Xander understood the situation. “Now, let me in.”

“No, Buffy, you misunderstand me.” The microwave dinged and Xander pulled out the bags and carefully emptied them into a large travel mug. “Get out.”

“Xan!” “Xander!” Willow and Buffy said simultaneously.

“No. If you want to hang around that’s your choice, but you’re not coming in or anywhere near Spike until he’s better.” He pushed past Willow and Tara and started down the ladder, mug precariously balanced in one hand.

Tara gave Willow a hesitant smile. “I’m sorry,” she said, turning to follow Xander.

Xander set the mug on Spike’s small nightstand. “Hey, Spike,” he said quietly. “Told you I’d be back.”

Tara watched as Xander sat on the bed close to the injured vamp. Xander had just settled Spike against his chest, when a small gasp came from behind her. She turned to see Willow wide-eyed at the foot of the ladder.

“Oh,” Willow said quietly.

Tara smiled softly. “Yes.”

“That’s what he meant.”

“Hmm?”

“About making it easier,” Willow clarified.

“Oh. Yes, I thought so.”

Willow wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and they watched in silence for a few moments as Xander whispered and coaxed the blond vampire to drink.

Leaning her head back against Willow’s, Tara said, “We should leave them alone. They’re in god hands.”

Smiling Willow nodded against her hair. “That just leaves us with what to tell Buffy.”

Turning in Willow’s arms, she smiled. “We’ll think of something.”

\---

Spike pushed himself against the headboard, hazily casting a look around for Xander. He knew the boy had been there when he’d fallen asleep. Xander had been there when he first woke up sore and broken and surprised to still be alive, and had been there every time since. He listened close to see if he was upstairs, but didn’t hear any sounds that would indicate anyone else was there. He grunted and debated trying his luck at going upstairs in search of blood and possibly a little telly. He quickly thought better of it when a jolt of pain followed by a bout of nauseating dizziness came over him. Bed was good, nice and soft, and it didn’t rock like the rest of the world was at the moment. He closed his eyes pushing the dizziness back and focusing on the sheets and pillows beneath him, when he heard the door to his crypt open, and before he could tense, the reassuring scent of Xander. He sighed and eased back on the bed. He listened as footsteps padded over to the kitchenette and the door to the mini fridge opened and closed and the microwave mimicked it, followed by the quiet whirl of radiation bombarding its contents. Spike pushed it all away, except Xander.

A few minutes later, Xander emerged into the lower level, a familiar travel mug in his hand. “You’re up. How ya feeling?”

Spike merely opened one eye and cocked a matching eyebrow.

Xander rolled his eyes and handed the mug to Spike.

The vamp took the mug and began drinking heavily. He hadn’t realized he was so hungry.

“Easy, Bloodbreath; Willie only had six bags left and he said he won’t get more until Thursday,” Xander chided with a smile.

“That’s alright, Whelp,” Spike leered at Xander, “I can always get it from the source.”

“Try it, Fangface,” Xander countered playfully. “You’re so weak that even without the chip I could take you.”

Spike chuckled; anyone else and he would’ve taken it as an insult, but this was Xander trading snark with him, so he made a dramatic show of downing the last of the mug’s contents in one go.

“Smartass.”

Spike smirked and leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes, feeling the blood strengthening him. “Why are you here?” he softly asked the question that had been rattling around his probably fractured and definitely concussed head; not daring to open his eyes, he didn’t want to risk seeing the look on Xan’s face.

Xander gulped as silently as he could, hoping Spike wouldn’t hear him in the state he was in. He’d been hoping to avoid that question. “What do you mean? Somebody had to make sure you didn’t dust in your sleep,” he said with as much humour as he could force in the too true and disturbing statement.

“But you didn’t have to stay.”

“Yeah, I did,” he tried to keep the smile out of his voice.

“Scooby ‘til the end. Even for the Evil Undead.” Spike smiled.

Xander chuckled. “That’s me, the Xan-man, champion of half-dusted vamps everywhere.”

“I’d love to see you ‘championing’ Ol’ Broody Britches,” Spike snickered.

“Even a champion has his limits,” Xander replied. He leaned back in the chair Tara had pulled up next to Spike’s bed. “You gonna tell me what happened?” he asked gently. He knew the gist of it of course, but he wanted to hear Spike’s version.

Spike stiffened. “The Slayer and I had a difference of opinion,” was all he said.

“Thanks, Spike. Not that that much was obvious, what with her beating you halfway to oblivion.”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“Buffy and I aren’t exactly talking. Besides, I’d only get the Slayer version.”

Spike’s eyes popped open. “Slayer’s one of your best friends.”

“Yeah,” Xander agreed. “But so are you.”

Spike looked incredulously at the young man.

“Don’t look so surprised, Bloodbreath. Oh, for the record if you _are_ putting the moves on me, you should try harder.” Xander steadied himself for his next words, if he got this wrong he’d never be able to look the vamp in the eye again. “Or maybe even a more direct approach.”

Spike stared unblinking at Xander. He gulped and pushed himself up once again. “Come ‘ere, Whelp,” he said with a bit more strength than he’d managed since his run in with Buffy.

He was surprised when Xander smiled and followed his command, coming to sit beside him on the bed. He laid a hand on Xander’s arm and brushed his face with the other. “This direct enough for you?” he asked as he leaned forward and kissed him.

Spike’s kiss was meant to be gentle, as hesitant as he was feeling, but Xander had other ideas. Buffy had almost killed the vamp and Xander wasn’t in any mood to leave things tentative or questioned, so he teased his tongue over Spike’s lips, urging the kiss to deepen. It didn’t last long, but long enough for both men to get their points across.

“Yes, much better. I swear, Spike, I never thought you’d be the subtle one here.”

“Yeah… When it’s important, taking your time can be a good thing.”

“Spike, we live on a Hellmouth, fight demons and miscellaneous boogie things, and on average face at least one apocalypse a year, not to mention that I’m human, mortal, completely lacking in any supernatural… _anything_ , and number one on the ‘tasty morsels’ list of most of the things we fight. You might want to consider time being of the essence.”

Spike chuckled and pressed his forehead to Xander’s. “Slayer’s gonna _love_ this.”

Xander smiled. “Let me take care of Buffy.”

\---

It had been four days since the _incident_ at Spike’s crypt. Four days of Buffy pacing and alternately fuming and looking like a little girl who just watched her puppy get kicked halfway across the yard by a pair of heavy steel-toed boots, of course this being Buffy it was probably Spike’s docs that were doing the kicking. And four long days of Willow, Tara, and Giles trying to calm, console, and comfort her. Buffy still couldn’t understand how vampire loathing Xander could be siding with Spike. _Spike_ of all people!

Willow and Tara had talked to Giles as soon as they’d returned from seeing Xander and Spike, and while he worried about Xander getting hurt emotionally, it was a relief to know Spike’s full power would be directed to protecting the young man.

Buffy was in mid ‘kicked puppy’ mode, when the door to the Magic Box opened with a jingle. And four pairs of eyes followed the young man who entered.

“Xander!” Willow beamed and he came over and kissed her head.

“Hey, Wills. You miss me?” he said as he sat down next to her.

Tara gave him a warm smile. “H-how’s Spike?”

“Annoying, snarky, you know- Spike. He’ll be fine in a few days,” he looked at Buffy, “though I think you managed to crack that thick skull of his.”

“Xander…”

“Buffy, I know,” he said gently. “You were just trying to protect me. But, maybe next time you can make sure I actually _need_ protecting.”

Buffy had the good sense to look sheepish, that was exactly what Willow and Xander had tried to tell her. “Xander, I’m sorry.”

He stood and walked over to her and hugged her. “Don’t be. Well, not to me, but you owe Spike that much.”

Buffy cringed; she didn’t like the idea, but knew she’d do it for Xander. “Yeah, okay. But I reserve the right to dust him if he so much as hurts you.”

“I think you’ll have to stand in line for that honour.” He gave a wry smile to Willow.

“Damn right,” she chirped vehemently, “there’s a shovel with his name on it.”

Buffy laughed at Willow’s declaration. She folded her arms over her chest and told Xander, “I still don’t have to like it.”

“I know. But we all put up with things we don’t like for the people we care about.”

Buffy smiled sadly- she knew he was referring to her relationship with Angel- and nodded. “I’ll go see him when he’s better.”

“Thanks, Buff.” Xander’s eyes sought out Giles, who’d been watching the exchange between his charges in silence. “Giles?”

“Oh, I’m quite certain Spike knows exactly what will happen if he allows any harm to come to you. That will suffice.” The words were said in Giles’ calm measured tones, but the fire that had given rise to the name ‘Ripper’ showed in his eyes and Xander had the cold knowledge that if Spike ever did hurt him, neither Willow, nor Buffy would have the chance to exact their own retributions.

Xander nodded, it was a lot. He wondered if Spike knew exactly what he was getting himself into and if he thought it would still be worth it, then he thought of the state he’d found the vamp in almost a week ago and he knew Spike was completely aware of the weight of the situation. He realized how much Spike was risking… for him, just for him. He smiled brightly and spread his arms. “Group hug?”

The three girls descended upon him, wrapping him in hugs. Even Giles came over and squeezed his shoulder.

Xander looked into Giles’ eyes as he said, “It’s gonna be okay.”


End file.
